The UW Oshkosh women’s tennis team (1-1) split the opening week of the 2025 season while also finishing in a tie for seventh place at the UW-Whitewater Warhawk Invitational.
The Titans opened up the season against UWW (1-0) Aug. 29, where the team was swept by the Warhawks 7-0. In singles competition, Cate Gerl was the only Titan to reach three sets, whereas every other Titan lost their match in two sets. Gerl, in the No. 6 singles match, picked up a victory in the first set 6-3, but dropped the final two 3-6 and 1(10)-0(5), which allowed UWW to complete the sweep.
Doubles competition was a similar story for the Titans as they went 0-3 in each of their matches. Olivia Pethan and Sarah Schaeffer were the closest to picking up a victory, as the No. 3 doubles match concluded 6-4. Kayla Gibbs and Mana Usui, in the no. 1 doubles match, fell 6-3, and in the final doubles match of the day, the duo of Brianna Owens and Jameson Gregory lost 6-2.
Following up the opening day sweep by the reigning WIAC champions, the Titans competed in the UWW Warhawk Invitational Aug. 30, where they finished in a tie for seventh with 17 points.
Pethan was paired with Courtney Carpenter this time around, and the duo picked up victories in two of their three matches, 6-3 and 6-1. Gibbs and Usui stuck together for the Warhawk Invitational and picked up a victory in one of their three matches, winning the second match against a Carthage College duo, 6-3. The duo of Gregory and Schaeffer picked up their only victory 6-2 in the first of three matches.
Gerl was the only Titan to land in the win column in singles competition by a score of 8-6 against Maitreyi Shrikhande representing Augustana College (Illinois). Both Brianna Owens and Vianna Dao were swept in each of their three matches.
UWO faced off against Lawrence University Sept. 2 to wrap up opening week and picked up their first victory of the season 6-1.
In doubles competition, the Titans swept. The duo of Gibbs and Usui won yet again, this time 6-4, while Pethan, with another new duo partner, Breanne Schultz, won 6-3. Owens and Schaeffer rounded out the doubles matches with a 6-1 victory.
Pethan was the only Titan singles competitor to fall, as she dropped the No. 1 singles match in three sets. Gibbs and Usui carried the momentum from their doubles match over to singles competition, where both picked up wins in two sets. Owens defeated Tess McGleen in a long three-set match, with the third ending in a score of 1(12)-0(10). Gerl and Schaeffer dominated their singles competition, surrendering only six total points to their respective opponents between the two matches.
The Titans will compete next against Ripon College on Sept. 10 at 4:30 p.m., a rescheduled match between the two schools from Sept. 5, in their home opener at the Kolf Sports Center Outdoor Tennis Court.
